When I was a student in Cambridge, we often went to this random pub in a dodgy part of town, where I discovered how good Thai food can be. Their fishcakes in particular were delicious – light and savoury.
Serves 4
500g white fish, such as cod,
ling or pollock
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tbsp red curry paste
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 egg
Pinch of dried chilli powder
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp plain flour,
for dusting
Sunflower or groundnut oil,
for shallow frying
1 bunch of watercress
For the honey dip
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vinegar
1 small onion,
finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp chopped mint
and coriander
Start by making the dip. Put the honey in a small pan with the vinegar, onion and ketchup. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Add the chopped herbs.
Put all the ingredients for the fishcakes, except the oil, flour and watercress, in a food processor and blitz together. Shape the mixture into small fishcakes and dust with flour.
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Heat the oil in a pan and shallow-fry the fishcakes until they're golden brown. Transfer them to a baking sheet and put them into the oven for 5 minutes to heat through. Serve with the honey dip and some watercress.
• This is an edited excerpt from A Taste of Home by Angela Hartnett (Ebury Press, £25)
